One year ago, Rye High’s Thomas Mackey missed meeting the standard to compete in the New York State Swimming Championships by .07 second. The bitter taste of that near-miss drove him to redouble his efforts in the pool as well as his workouts on dry land over the ensuing 12 months.

 

By Mitch Silver

 

One year ago, Rye High’s Thomas Mackey missed meeting the standard to compete in the New York State Swimming Championships by .07 second. The bitter taste of that near-miss drove him to redouble his efforts in the pool as well as his workouts on dry land over the ensuing 12 months.

 

This weekend, Thomas will not only be swimming at States, he’ll compete in multiple events: the 100-yard breaststroke, the 200-yard individual medley, and both the 200- and 400-yard freestyle relays. And he’ll be doing it all as February’s Athlete of the Month, chosen by the Rye Lions Club and the Rye High Athletic Department.

 

A three-season varsity athlete (he competes for the Garnets’ track & field teams in the fall and spring), Thomas also excels in the classroom. He’s a member of the National Honor Society, maintaining a near-93 GPA while taking Advanced Placement classes in Chemistry, Calculus, and Statistics. In the fall, he’ll major in Actuarial Science at SUNY-Binghamton while swimming for the Bearcats.

 

Asked about his career choice in the actuarial field, Thomas was characteristically humble. “It’s a math-heavy profession, but I wasn’t always a good math student. In fact, I remember being placed the remedial Math Lab in Middle School. But Mrs. Naber in tenth grade really made the subject come alive for me. I guess I just took to the subject.” Hmmm…like a duck to water, or a Thomas Mackey to water.

 

He was also modest about winning February’s award. “I’m happy and surprised. I guess I’ve surprised myself and my coach with my improvement this year.”

 

The mention of his coach made him smile. “Lara Vivolo is the most dedicated member of our team. Without the time and effort she puts in, none of us would be doing as well as we are. I know I wouldn’t be heading to States this year.”

 

Coach Vivolo returns the favor. “Thomas is an organized, driven, passionate, and dedicated young man. He has been an absolute pleasure to coach. His desire to improve, achieve his goals, and create <new> goals when he reaches them has been incredible. His ability to handle his academics, athletic, and family/social life shows his maturity and mental strength.  He is a strong communicator, captain, and leader in our program. I look forward to watching him continue to thrive in all areas of his life.”

 

In June, Thomas will be heading to The Osborn for the year-end Lions Club banquet. And here’s a fun fact: His father, Paul, is Vice-President of Facilities and Property at The Osborn. So, when Thomas joins the other monthly winners to vote on Rye’s Athlete of the Year, he’ll have home field advantage.